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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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Soundtrack of Your Life Theme: What songs was I listening to last year? There was Jesus - Zach Williams and Dolly Parton I love seeing and hearing Dolly Parton putting her stamp on Christian music. I also like that she lets Zach Williams take the lead in this song and as it builds to the end she steps up and belts it out as only she can do. She really is a powerhouse. There is strength in the words and this past year needed those words to build me up and keep me strong. I was doing a teaching job that was new to me and it had the added component of teaching online as well as in person. I often worry that I am not giving my students the best of me and this year was extra challenging because I was trying to do it in two very different ways. I get a chuckle out of the fact that he is sitting down and she is standing up and they are close to the same height... though he is a little taller still. Here are some of the lyrics: Every time I tried to make it on my own Every time I tried to stand and start to fall And all those lonely roads that I have travelled on There was Jesus When the life I built came crashing to the ground When the friends I had were nowhere to be found I couldn't see it then but I can see it now There was Jesus In the waiting, in the searching In the healing and the hurting Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces Every minute, every moment Where I've been and where I'm going Even when I didn't know it or couldn't see it There was Jesus. |
Soundtrack of Your Life Theme: What songs did I listen to last year? Mostly Christian music, I figure. I've always been a little eclectic. Lauren Daigle - You Say The lyrics really resonated with me. This was another mentally challenging year. I started my year on a low. My motivation was in tatters. This particular song pulled me up out of that funk and had me refocusing on what is important and what I am grateful for in my life. I will share a few lyrics... I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know Ooh-oh You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak And you say I am held when I am falling short And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours And I believe (I) Oh, I believe (I) What You say of me (I) I believe So I believe and I will forge ahead. Here's to a better year with more focus and productivity. |
Go Caroling Day - December 20 https://nationaltoday.com/go-caroling-day/ My best memory of going caroling was when I went to my Uncle's family Christmas Eve celebration. My uncle is Italian. His family does a big Christmas Eve fest. I was invited to join them. After the wonderful meal of many courses, we all bundled up and went out for a horse drawn carriage ride. We sang carols as we went through the neighbourhood. My uncle sings flat and loves to sing loud. The rest of us had to sing louder to try to drown him out. It was a blast. One of my best Christmas Eve's ever. |
12 Days of 'Christmas' Blogging Challenge Look On The Bright Side - December 21 https://nationaltoday.com/look-bright-side-day/ Okay so a little Monty python anyone? Yes, this is a little warped, but hey, why not. I laugh as I shake my head. I like the idea of being optimistic. It is better for your health. It is a choice we make each and every day. Former President Barack Obama discusses the power of optimism, stating, “Your response has to be to reject cynicism and reject pessimism and push forward, with a certain infectious and relentless optimism.” I have to agree with that sentiment. I grew up within a negative environment. My mother was eventually diagnosed with depression when I was sixteen, but before that we lived in the shadow of her mood swings and negativity. I think what helped was watching Oprah and learning that optimism is a choice and that my life is not as bad as other people's. I like that there is a day for this. Still, I think it should be an everyday thing. Make today your best day. |
12 Days of 'Christmas' Blogging Challenge Yule - December 21 This takes a familiar tune and changes the lyrics for a more winter solstice / Yule celebration moment. I love this tune and the different words were lovely. I love the images and the guitar music. Very soothing. I am also adding a second video for the imagery and lovely music. Instrumental versions of songs that sooth us during this time of the year. Before Christmas is always such a busy time. Even when I try to take it easy, it tends to bite me as I realize what I haven't done yet. This music calms that aspect of my life. This is a longer bit - about half an hour, but it is lovely music to have on in the background as I write. This gentleman is very talented... and not to hard on the eyes either.  |
12 Days of 'Christmas' Blogging Challenge December 21 - Winter Solstice This is a lovely song. It leaves me feeling there is hope and infinite possibilities within the longest, darkest night of the year. Time to think and reflect. I just signed on to the Ninja Writer's Fresh Start Week that is free and runs from December 26 to January 1. Here is the link if anyone is interested in joining. It will be a blast. https://ninja-writers.ck.page/f0b23b5a5f I always like to get time to reflect on the past year and plan for the possibilities of the new year. This will help. It is a Zoom link so I can be in the comfort of my own home and make things grow from that reflective place... can you see my sparks of creativity? I hope to be fired up for the new year. This video is beautiful... Have a great day. Hope to see you Zooming! |
12 Days of "Christmas" Blogging Challenge :Dec. 13 - Taylor Swift's Birthday. Shake it off is the ring tone song I have linked to Subfinder. Whenever I get a call for a supply job I get to listen to this song and breath through the nerves that arise with each unknown possibility. It makes me smile and remember I can do it. She is who she is and is comfortable with her authenticness. That speaks to me. You do you and I'll do me and we will all be awesome! I have also included a dashcam confessional because there are retired police officers in and close to my family and they are dedicated family men. This video makes me smile and remember they may be cops, but they are also Dads with big hearts. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this officer has a daughter who LOVES Taylor Swift. Notes ▼ |
Blogging Circle of Friends DAY 3279 October 29, 2021 October is almost over and the insanity of nanowrimo begins. Are you participating in the writing challenge? Or are you working on other goals? I am participating in NaNoWriMo. I have every year since 2012. 9 years of the insanity, though the first year, I only remembered the day before it was to start and I decided to go for it. Being a discovery writer, who only plans when things get tight, I did very well and I met a lot of local NaNoWriMo people who have become great friends. That surge of writerly confidence brought me to WDC the following spring and by the next October (2013) I was prepping with the best of them. I have decided to write a whole new novel this year - a paranormal romance. I am excited. I have done the prep exercises in the October NaNo Prep Challenge and I logged the last of my assignments this morning. Am I ready? I think so.... I can only plan so much and then I need to write. I think I am ready to get in there and learn more about my characters and their world. I will find clarity as I move forward. This November is going to be busy. NaNoWriMo will be a strong focus, but so will caring for my mother as she is having hip surgery on November 3. I will be taking time away from supply teaching to be her caregiver so I will be home to write while she is resting. With all the prep I have done, I expect I will be on track to move forward. I hope to still get in some supply work, but I will be more selective over the course of the month. With mom laid up, I will be in charge of getting the groceries and all the heavy lifting. She will keep me on my toes, I am sure. Most of my groups shift into NaNoWriMo mode. The only bit of extra is the Wild Writer's Festival which is online. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7 pm from November 1 to 21. There are also Zoom meetings Saturdays and Sundays so I will have to put the links into my calendar and pay attention. I will also need to post links for Guelph NaNoWriMo events and KW NaNoWriMo events. I won't bother with Cambridge as they let the library run their program and don't do anything interesting. Last year their was an overnighter in Guelph - online of course. KW did a longer write in, but I think they finished at midnight or 2 am. Write ins are all online in Zoom or on Google Meet. Discord (Guelph) and Slack (KW) are other ways of conversing. On WDC I will be doing writing sprints with the October Preppers. I will be participation in the NaNoWriMo Write-a-thon. I will also try to complete 4 more contests before the end of the calendar year. This will be for I Write in 2021. I know they are giving out extra weeks for paricipating in the Prep and the Write-A-Thon, but I want to say I actually did 52 contest in 52 weeks and not a few contest with bonus weeks. The point is to write, enter and review. One of the contests I need to do is a paranormal romance short story. Given that my Nano novel is a paranormal romance... I think I can wing that. I also find that I need to remind myself that the whole world does not revolve around NaNo. Other writers are working on other projects and challenging themselves in other ways. I Write in 2021 helps me remember that. And besides, sometimes you just gotta write a little poetry or blog to keep from drowning in the mire of your NaNoWriMo story. It's a cleansing, of a sort. Good luck to all of you, whatever you decide to do. With only two months left in 2021, let's make it shine. What goals have you got left you want to tackle? |
WDC Birthday Bash Blog Day Seven: AN INCONVENIENT BIRTHDAY I have a deadline. A raging deadline and it must be met. Every time I get to it and just start to get into the flow someone interrupts with birthday wishes. They can stick their wishes.... no, I really should not be so upset about it, but the thing is... I need to get this damn story finished and in to my editor before the end of the day. Why the hell did I pick today to be the day for the deadline, I'll never know. I guess I figured I would be done by now. Done and celebrating. Now that was a crazy idea. I hate birthdays. Another year older. No damn wiser. Just more aches and pains.... and pains in my ass. I mumbled the last bit aloud as I grabbed the phone as it shrilled. I tried to keep my voice calm, but the irritation shimmered under the surface like some kind of demonic monster. "Happy Birthday, cheri!" trilled another well wisher. I ground my teeth, blew out a calming breath and thanked them as kindly as I could manage. I really had to find a way out from under these distractions. My eyes glanced out the window to the mountain range in the distance. An idea formed as my aunt droned on about some kind of family thing. I really had no interest. As soon as I could, I carved myself out of the conversation trying not to hang up or cut her off, but this particular aunt could talk for days if given the chance. With my ear pasted to the phone I jumbled myself into a jacket and gathered my gear. Within moments of hanging up I was out the door and heading for the mountain path. No Cell service. No internet. I could get my work done and be home in time for dinner and some damn reservation at Chez Pierre. No doubt a surprise party that I really had no interest in. Why couldn't I just crawl under a rock until tomorrow? Words = 340 |
WDC Birthday Bash Blog Day Six: THE IDEAL BIRTHDAY PARTY What would you say to a birthday party with your favourite characters or authors. I am not a huge fan of birthday parties with me as the center of attention, but with characters and authors.... it could be intriguing. Imagine attending a lavish country estate in England where servants served a picnic banquet of roast ham and beef. They would cut your choice and you would pile it high on homemade bread, complete with a selection of your own sandwich toppings and side fixings. Pickles, potato salad, five cup or ambrosia salad. Veggies all picked fresh from the garden - tomatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower. And the most amazing dip.... cause good veggies need a great dip. Anything you wished. A dessert buffet would follow this. Being the ideal birthday party, there would be no calories and the selection would be fabulous. English Triffle, Tiramisu, cherry New York style cheesecake, pastries, berries of all kinds and ice cream of any flavour you could dream up. The day would be perfect. A sunny 25 degrees Celsius with NO humidity. My party would have Jane Austen Characters: Emma Woodhouse, Mr. Knightly, Jane and Elizabeth Bennett, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, and Georgina Darcy to name a few. Everyone would dress the part and the day would be such lovely fun. You could be another character and play your part. Imagine the story lines of Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion and the unfinished Sanditon mixing. Delightful. |
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